Social Time
by Waywatcher
Summary: One-Shot. Robin and Starfire attend the Mayor's party and meet a familiar, if unwelcome, face.


**Disclaimer** **: I don't own Teen Titans. Okay, seriously, this was tough to write. It feels like forever since I wrote the normal Titans, and my autofill kept putting in Robyn instead of Robin because of how often I do it. It was awkward to get back into the habit of how Starfire speaks, and the more subdued personalities of the actual Titans. This isn't even a particularly good story, I just wrote it all in my spare time on the bus to and from university. It's like writing practice more than anything.**

 **Whatever, here's to all of you out there that prefer the normal Titans. It's been a while since I put something out for you.**

* * *

It was a dark night in the city of Jump. The sun had already set, blanketing the world in shadows, and the clouds had come in to block the light of the moon and stars. Street lamps provided small havens to those who braved the vacant streets.

Near the west side of the city lay a building perfectly fitting in theme for a night like this. A building made of grey stone, adorned with gargoyles and gothic spires. While it might have fit the night's theme, it was out of place amongst the brick, steel, and plaster of Jump.

Its name was the "Nightgale Banquet Hall", and despite what the appearance would suggest it was actually a popular location for major events. The mayor especially enjoyed using this particular hall.

Such was the case tonight, as limos, Lamborghini, and all sorts of lavish vehicles could be seen pulling up to the building, each carrying their dignified guests to the social that the mayor was holding.

Not just for enjoyment, this event was orchestrated to give the mayor new contacts and to see how the rich would react to a few of the Mayor's new suggestions.

Now of course, this much opulence in one place was at risk of attracting the unsavoury element, so the mayor had called upon a famous team to send representatives to both show support and provide meta-human security.

At the front of the building, a rather unusual car could be seen pulling up. It was bright blue and silver with tinted windows and was nearly silent as it pulled in to the stop.

One individual stepped out of the back seat. Young and slim, the boy wore a standard black tuxedo with a single red rose in the breast pocket. His hair was sleek and shiny, having been gelled back.

He could have been mistaken for any rich boy, any partygoer, any celebrity, were it not for his two defining features.

The sleek domino mask that covered his eyes, and the thick metal belt around his waist.

Robin, for of course it was him, quickly, but smoothly, made his way over to the other side of the car and opened the door for his companion.

A tall, thin girl emerged from the backseat. She wore a simple, sleek, floor-length, purple dress with a slit up both legs for the simple purpose of manoeuvrability.

Even with the generic dress, there would be absolutely no mistaking her; the orange skin and completely green eyes made sure of that.

She was Starfire of the Teen Titans; she and her leader Robin were here as meta-human guards as well as to show support for the mayor.

The car door closed and the driver pulled away, leaving the two heroes standing in the lot. After a moment's pause, Robin held out a hand to his companion, who accepted and gracefully placed her hand in his. The two walked to the building's main doors and made their elegant entrance.

###

"Alright y'all, Cy is back! Let's get this party started!" The metal Titan called out as he swaggered into the main room of the Tower.

"Party?" Raven said dryly, looking up from her book. "Cyborg, it's just me, you, and Beast Boy."

"Well three's a party ain't it?" Cyborg said, grinning.

"I believe the expression is 'three's a crowd'." Raven corrected.

"Party, crowd, same thing." Cyborg shrugged. "Now where's B? I wanna get down to some serious Mega Monkeys Six action!"

"Thrilling." The empath deadpans. "Beast Boy is in the basement. I think he said he was getting 'the old stuff'." Raven makes air quotes with her fingers.

"Nice B, good thinking!" Cyborg nodded. "Been a while since we've played the old gamebox. Mega Six can wait and I need to make snacks!" The metal man rushed off to the kitchen area and started pulling out bags of all sorts.

Raven just rolled her eyes and went back to her book. This was none of her concern.

###

"Ahh! Robin, Starfire, so glad you could make it!" The small man smiled widely as he greeted them at the door. "You're one of the last to arrive, I was worried you weren't coming!"

"We would not miss such a delightful event!" Starfire said happily, smiling at the man.

Robin nodded in agreement. "Star's right sir. After all you've done for the Titans, we couldn't just refuse a chance to help, even if it is just through guard duty."

"It is appreciated nonetheless." The mayor chuckled. "Plus, you save they city on a daily basis; if anything I should be repaying you!"

"No! We are owing you much Mister Mayor." Starfire protested. "You have supported us since our beginning, and have helped to keep the peoples' opinion of us high."

"We'll just call it even then." The small man said jokingly. "I must be off, other guests to entertain, but please enjoy yourselves. I would offer you wine, but apparently you're not responsible enough to handle it."

Robin couldn't help but smirk as the mayor walks away. The subject of alcohol was somewhat of a running joke between them (mostly at the expense of celebrities and other high-class alcoholics).

"So Robin, what are we to do now?" Starfire inquired, eyes searching the room. "We are guards yes? Do we simply stand at the door all night?"

"We are guards," Robin agreed, "but we are also guests. As long as we keep an eye out, we're allowed to enjoy ourselves a bit."

"That is good to hear." Starfire said, "I was hoping to do a bit of dancing."

"Well, you might be waiting a bit." The martial artist chuckled. "The mayor is going to do his whole presentation and answer questions before any dancing or food happens."

"Then I shall wait patiently for that time." Starfire nodded firmly. "Did you have a particular activity you wish to partake in tonight Robin?"

The boy thouht for a moment. "Not really... My plan was mostly to just talk to the other guests, maybe get some info on what is happening in Jump, what everyone's opinions are."

"Oh, I see..."

"Greetings, greetings!" The mayor's enthusiastic voice catches the ear of both Titans and they turn their heads to look.

They could see the mayor greeting a tall, well-dressed man with somewhat tousled black hair. To Starfire, he is a complete stranger, but to Robin...

"Bruce." The martial artist said through suddenly gritted teeth.

"Bruce?" Starfire asked, tilting her head. "You are acquainted with him?"

"You might say that." Robin seethed. "He should not be here. I don't _want_ him here."

"Is he a villain?" The girl whispered. Her fists started glowing a soft green light.

"No, he's not." The martial artist admitted reluctantly as they watch the tall man stroll into the room. "Not even close."

Starfire looked somewhat surprised, but dismissed her starbolts nonetheless. "Should we confront him?" She asked.

"No, you should avoid him if at all possible." Robin asserted firmly. "I don't want you anywhere near him!"

"Is he dangerous?" Starfire's eyes narrowed.

"Extremely." The Titans' leader said in a low voice.

"You do not need to fear for me though Robin." Starfire reminds. "I am very strong. Possibly more than you. If anything, I would want _you_ to stay away from him."

Robin frowned. "It's my job to protect the Titans, and that includes you."

"Wrong." The girl huffed. "It is all of our jobs to protect each other, and that includes protecting you."

The martial artist scowled at this. "Fine, we'll _both_ stay away from him then."

"That is the O of K with me." Starfire nodded.

"Stay away from who?" A smooth voice asked.

" _So much for that plan._ " Robin thought, turning around and looking up at the millionaire playboy known as Bruce Wayne. "Hello Mr. Wayne, I didn't expect to see you in Jump."

"Neither did I." Bruce chuckled. "But when I was invited to this lovely party by none other than the mayor himself I could hardly refuse. Plus, I thought I'd use this little trip to check up on the Jump City branch of my corporation."

"I suppose I can't argue with that logic." Robin said casually. "It would have been foolish of me to assume that you were here to visit your son, now wouldn't it?"

"That depends on how cold you think I am." The man laughed. "But I'm leaving the boy alone, he seems to prefer his new batch of friends over his old man."

"Hardly old," Robin retorted dryly. "judging by how many companions you still pick up, or is it just the money?"

"I get the vague feeling you aren't impressed with me." Bruce remarked with a smirk. "Whatever could I have done to warrant such hostility?"

Starfire, who was listening to the exchange, was quite confused. She was indeed following the conversation, but she had a feeling she was missing a piece of the puzzle. There was some bit of information that was key to this talk that she just couldn't figure out.

"You know very well Bruce." Robin scoffed. "Now if you'll excuse me, Star and I have better things to be doing." The martial artist promptly grabbed his companion and marched away from the suave billionaire.

When they were a decent distance away, Robin released his companion.

"Please Robin." Starfire said slowly. "I am not understanding why you dislike that man. He seems very friendly."

"Friendly, sure." The boy grumbled. "No doubt he is. Deceptive bastard."

Star just blinked at Robin's obvious vehemence. "I think you misjudge the man."

"And I think you don't know him like I do." Robin muttered under his breath. "You can't trust him Star. Please, take my word on this."

Starfire was uncertain, she disliked judging someone before she had properly met them, but if Robin was so certain that this man was not to be trusted...

"Alright." Starfire acquiesced. "I shall be cautious around him."

"Thanks Star." Robin sighed. "That's all I can ask."

###

"So Rae," Beast Boy called out as he mashed buttons on his controller. He was engaged in an intense match of Mega Monkeys Four with Cyborg. "I have a question."

Raven looked up from her book for a moment. "Yes?"

"Your powers let you go anywhere right?" The shapeshifter asked.

"That is a gross oversimplification, but yes, almost." The empath responded.

"So can you, like, jump dimensions?" He inquired.

"Theoretically." Raven nodded her head. "I can transport myself to pocket dimensions connected to ours with relative ease, such as my home of Azarath, but if I put enough effort into it I could feasibly slip into other universes." She paused. "Why do you want to know?"

"Just curious." The green boy admitted. "I've always wondered if there's another me out there."

"Definitely." Raven said without hesitation. "Some members of the Justice League have ventured to parallel dimensions and met almost identical versions of themselves. I have little doubt that there us another you, and another Cyborg, and another of everyone."

"Dude, that is so cool!" The shapeshifter exclaimed, momentarily forgetting his game which allowed Cyborg to easily steal the win. "It would be awesome to meet myself..."

"Hate to burst your bubble BB, but that's not going to happen." Cyborg chuckled, "Unless you can convince Rae to let you go dimension hopping."

"That would be so cool..." Beast Boy said, his mind momentarily slipping into a daydream.

"And extraordinarily dangerous." Raven informed him bluntly. "One accidental trip to a dangerous world and you could be dead within moments."

"Way to ruin the fantasy Rae." The shapeshifter frowned.

"I'm so sorry that reality isn't to your liking." The empath quipped dryly. "I'll be sure to let you die next time."

Beast Boy stuck out his tongue at the pale girl before saying, "It would still be cool though."

The two fell quiet for a few seconds, only the noise of Cyborg and Beast Boy's renewed video game permeated the room until Raven admitted. "Yeah, I suppose it would."

###

"-concludes my speech. Thank you everyone for coming tonight. The buffet will be brought out in a few minutes." The mayor stepped off the stage to the sound of loud applause.

" _That was long._ " Robin thought, clapping politely along with the others. " _The mayor really went all out with this one._ "

Beside him, Starfire had also been clapping, but she had been far more enthusiastic.

"That was glorious!" The girl gushed. "It reminds me of the great speeches of Van'khal in the first Gordanian War!"

" _Speeches about re-election while fighting a war?_ " The martial artist smirked lightly at the thought. " _Ahh politicians, you're the same no matter the planet._ "

As promised, the food came out swiftly. The tables draped in white cloth near the sides of the room were soon adorned with all manners of delicacies.

Robin and Starfire swiftly pounced on the opportunity to eat and grabbed themselves a few platefuls before the dinner rush had truly gotten underway.

Taking seats in a deep corner, the two sat down and ate. They were content to be off their feet after standing around for an hour.

"I was expecting more talk about his future projects." Robin said after a few minute. He politely wiped his mouth with a napkin before continuing to speak. "But it was basically just a big re-election speech."

"I disagree." Starfire frowned in disagreement. She mimicked her teammate and wiped her mouth before speaking again. "He spoke about the economy and the continued defence of the city against the criminal element. Perhaps he spoke a little on the subject of retaining his position, but I would not say it was the focus of his speech."

"Maybe I just don't have a high opinion of speeches that mention re-election in any way." Robin shrugged. "I haven't exactly had positive encounters with politicians before the mayor. Old habits die hard."

"This is very much the opposite of my experience." Starfire frowned. "Blackfire was the only negative politician I have had the displeasure of encountering."

"Consider yourself lucky." Robin remarked dryly. "I'm yet to meet someone who shares your experience."

"Of course not." Starfire said, sounding a bit confused. "Who else would have met Blackfire and then come to Earth?"

"That's not exactly what I meant..."

"Ah! Starfire, Robin, nice to see you again." A familiar smooth voice said.

"Hello Mr. Wayne." Starfire greeted politely. "Have you been enjoying your evening?"

"Indeed I have." The man nodded, ignoring Robin's glare. "And you?"

"It has indeed been a glorious evening so far." Starfire gushed, "The mayor's speech reminds me of those from home."

"I'm surprised." Bruce smiled. "Most find political speeches horribly dull."

"I am not most people Mr. Wayne." Starfire asserted.

"No..." The man murmured, eyes roaming over her form. "No you are not."

Robin glared at Bruce, who pretended not to notice.

"Please, I must inquire." Starfire said after a moment. "You and Robin are familiar with each other yes?"

"Indeed we are." Bruce nodded.

"For what purpose? Robin is a superhero, and you a businessman." The girl asked.

"Nosey, aren't we?" The man raised an eyebrow. "Robin hasn't told you? How like him. Ever the secret keeper."

This prompted a surprised look from the boy wonder. "Bruce?"

"The circumstances were certainly unusual, but nothing that needed to be kept under wraps." The man said.

Any confusion or surprise Robin might have temporarily experienced disappeared. Bruce was just being Bruce.

"I would _love_ to tell you the story right now, but I really should go meet new people. Networking and all that." He paused, and then grinned. "Though... Perhaps I could offer to tell the story after this party is finished? I know this perfect pla-"

"I'm sorry Mr. Wayne, but I already have plans." Starfire smoothly interrupted. "And besides, I respect my teammate's want for privacy. We all have our secrets."

Bruce seemed surprised, but also almost... satisfied. "Indeed we do Starfire, indeed we do. My pardon for being so forward."

"It is no fault of yours Mr. Wayne, you were simply offering to entertain." The tamaranian girl soothed. "However, beware your presumptions do not land you out of favour with new acquaintances."

"Of course." The man chuckled. "I am nothing if not cautious."

"So you claim," Starfire murmured, "and yet I am not inclined to believe you."

"You don't believe me trustworthy?"

"Not in the slightest." The Tamaranian affirmed.

There was a brief, stifling silence as the two stared at each other. Bruce's expression was blank, while Starfire's was deathly calm.

"Smart girl."

The female Titan blinked in surprise, snapping out of her stare. Bruce was looking at her with an approving smile.

"Never take a politician's words at face value." He said. "I may be seen as a dim-witted playboy; but _I_ know that I most certainly a politician, regardless of the world's views." His smile was slightly discomforting, like he knew something Starfire didn't. "It is good of you to recognize that."

Starfire wasn't exactly comforted by learning her distrust was justified. Bruce turned to Robin, who had been silent for the entire exchange.

"You have a good teammate here Robin." The man smiled his deceptive smile. He was met with stoney silence, but continued nonetheless. "You don't find people this smart very often. Don't let her go to waste." He promptly turned around and walked off, not even bothering to say goodbye.

"Do not let me go to waste?" Starfire said after a moment, sounding offended. "I am not a resource! This man may seem polite, but he is not!"

"You can say that again Star." Robin agreed, his scowl still present as he kept a close eye on the billionaire. "That guy is never what he seems. I would know."

###

"C'mon Rae!" The green boy whined. "Please? I'm begging here!"

"No Beast Boy." Raven sighed. "I will not send you to another dimension." She held back from sighing again. " _And to think that that used to be my main threat..._ "

"But it would be awesome!" Beast Boy protested. "I could talk to myself!"

"So?" The empath said dryly. "It's nothing special. I do it all the time."

"The emoticlones don't count." He huffed. "I mean another _full_ version of myself."

"Two Beast Boys?" Cyborg shuddered. "I'm not sure the universe would survive."

"I resent that!" The shapeshifter pouted.

"Noted." Raven said dully.

There was a brief pause, and then-

"Rae?"

" _No_ Beast Boy."

###

With dinner finished, the music had finally started, and as much as Robin would have preferred to stay on the sidelines, Starfire was not to be denied. Either that or she could have got someone else to dance with her, and Robin wouldn't have that.

This was why Robin could be found in the middle of the room trying not to fumble his steps. It had been a while since he last danced, and while he remembered the steps just fine putting them into practice was not so simple.

It didn't help that this particular dance had several long strides in it, meaning that Robin truly had to stretch in order to accompany Starfire's long reach. He didn't complain though, Star was enjoying herself and he didn't want to ruin it for her.

The song was thankfully slow, the Boy Wonder wasn't sure if he could have managed a fast song.

" _I really should have practiced beforehand._ " Robin admitted to himself, taking a long step back and trying to keep his balance. " _It's not like I didn't see this coming._ "

Yet Robin's memory proved to be sufficient for the task, and he got through the dance without any major mistakes.

Starfire had seemed temporarily satisfied and led him off to the side towards the refreshment tables. Robin was glad for the break, he felt like he'd just done a workout instead of a few dances.

The martial artist had sat down with his teammate, drinking punch.

A familiar figure approached.

"What do you want Bruce?" Robin asked tiredly, looking up at the man. "This is the third time tonight."

"Can I speak to you Robin?" He asked with a winning smile.

"We're talking right now." The martial artist retorted bluntly.

"Alone." Bruce clarified.

Robin was suspicious, but he wasn't so distrustful that he wouldn't talk. "Fine." He turned to his teammate. "Star, would you mind...?"

"Of course." The girl said graciously, rising from her seat. "I shall see if perhaps the Mayor wishes to dance with me." She strutted off towards the far end of the room where the Mayor was entertaining some of the other guests.

"Have a seat." Robin sighed, gesturing to the empty spot. The billionaire did so, making himself comfortable. "Now, what is it?"

"I'm here on League business Robin." The man said in a low voice, dropping his playboy act.

"So? You need my help?" The boy wonder asked.

"No." The man shook his head. "While I may be here on League business I just wanted to check in on the Titans. I could just search your records, but I figured you would appreciate a more open approach."

Robin seemed quite surprised to hear this, though his expression didn't show it. He considered this behaviour very out of character for Bruce. "I would hardly call this approach 'open'." He remarked dryly.

"More open than hacking." Bruce deadpanned.

"Point." Robin conceded.

"So, what will you tell me about the Titans?" The man steepled his fingers and looked at his protege expectantly.

Robin was silent for a moment. He squinted at his mentor distrustfully, debating how much to give him, or if to give him anything at all.

This turned into a mild staring match between the two, each trying to analyze the other. Robin weighed the pros and cons of giving Bruce what he wanted.

With a hefty sigh, Robin broke eye contact and spoke. "The Titans are doing fine. We've gotten a lot better over the last year, Raven can control her powers better, Beast Boy can make a surprisingly good leader, Cyborg got over some of his personal issues, and Starfire..." Robin paused here for a moment. "Actually, Star hasn't changed much."

"And you?"

"I've... I've learned how to relax a bit." The Boy Wonder admitted.

"Anything else?"

"We've stopped a criminal mastermind, twice, an evil school teacher, a group of super-villains, and the demonic incarnation of evil." Robin offered. "Numerous other smaller villains too of course, but those are the big ones."

"The incarnation of evil?" Bruce asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That's private information." The martial artist said firmly.

"Of course it is." The man murmured. "Anything more?"

"Lots." Robin said. "But this is hardly the place to discuss it."

"Alright." Bruce nodded, standing up from his seat. "We'll talk later." He promptly turned around, and walked away into the crowd.

The Boy Wonder scowled as he watched the man switch back to his playboy persona and start talking up a random partygoer, much to her husband's annoyance. "Screw you Bruce." Robin grumbled. "I can handle myself."

###

"How did BB talk you into this again?" Cyborg asked, leaning back in his seat and watching Raven draw up a magic circle around a crystal ball sitting on the floor.

"Either this or actually let him go to another dimension." Raven said dryly. "Take your pick."

"I dunno Rae. Maybe going would be fun." The metal Titan pondered.

The empath rolled her eyes to the heavens. " _I'm surrounded by idiots!_ " But out loud, "I already told you why we can't go, it wasn't an actual choice!"

"You said there was something about disrupting the cosmic order." Beast Boy corrected, hopping off his stool at the kitchen counter to look over the circle. "That's fake and I know it."

"Well if I let you do it once you'd want to do it again." The pale girl grumbled, finishing her circle and teleporting her chalk back to her room. "And it's still not a good idea, even if it was technically safe. I'm ready by the way."

"Let's do this dude!" Beast Boy shouted eagerly. He clapped his hands in excitement as Raven motioned him to sit on a cushion she had put down.

Cyborg dropped down next to his green buddy while Raven sat on the other side of the circle.

"Alright." Raven sighed, pulling up her hood. "Here we go." Raising her hands over the crystal ball and calling "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" triggered the ritual. Raven's eyes shone with a unusual misty blue colour as she searched the multiverse.

Universe upon universe was shown on the ball as Raven searched. The images flashing past their faces were unfamiliar: A girl with magic cards and a boy with a sword and talisman magic, an army clad in black armour converging on a small village in the arctic, two angels with wings white and black respectively fighting a seemingly endless hoard of monsters, and someone very small dressed in blue with a staff and spiked gauntlet cackling as they throw spells at other creatures.

Eventually, the scene shifts to something familiar. The crystal ball shows a city on the coast with a familiar tower located just off the shoreline on its own private island.

"Dude!" Beast Boy whispers in a hushed tone. "Is this it?"

"Yes Beast Boy." Raven whispers.

Zooming in closer, the tower looks quite different. Whereas their tower was made of grey steel with large windows, this one was built from some sort of black metal with heavy plating and small, reinforced windows.

Raven tried to phase to the inside the building, but was rebuffed by an invisible force.

"They have wards." She muttered. "Pretty powerful ones too."

"Wards?" Cyborg asked.

"Magical protection." The empath sighs. "This type of ward prevents scrying, so I can't get to the inside."

"Dude... Do we have wards too?" The shapeshifter asked with curious excitement.

"Yes Beast Boy. I set them up when signs of my father's return started appearing." Raven affirmed. "Though I can't compare strength, scrying across dimensions can be blocked with laughable ease; it takes most of the ritual's power just to cross dimensions, there isn't any left over to break wards, and I don't feel like wasting more of my own energy on something like this."

"Because we're essentially peering into someone's house." Cybrog said dryly, now looking a bit uncomfortable as he realized exactly what they were doing.

"Oh." Beast Boy muttered. "Uh, maybe we shouldn't be doing this?"

"No really?" Raven asked dryly.

"You were the one who went through with it!" The shapeshifter protested.

"You were the one who insisted." The empath scoffed. "'Raven!'" She mimicked mockingly. "Let's go to another dimension to scare the daylights out of our counterparts!"

"That's not what I said." Beast Boy grumbled. "But point taken, you can stop now."

"Thanks for your _permission_ oh great one." Raven snarked, but did indeed end the scrying ritual. "There, now maybe next time you'll listen to me when I say we shouldn'tbe doing something."

"Yeah... I don't think so." The shapeshifter murmured. "But I know not to try dimensional scrying without a good reason now."

"I thought it was common knowledge." The pale girl sighed. "Azar help me..."

"Well excuuuse me!" Beast Boy huffed. "What the people we were trying to look at would think wasn't exactly something that occurred to me!"

"Of course it wasn't." Raven shakes her head. "Fine, whatever, at least this is over with."

###

"That was most enjoyable!" Starfire beamed. "The mayor is surprisingly proficient at dancing!"

"That's good to hear." Robin said in a somewhat tired voice. He put on a strained smile for his teammate.

"Are you finished speaking with Bruce?" The girl asked, eyes searching the room for the man.

"For now." The martial artist nodded.

"I am relieved." Starfire sighed. "I did not wish for us to remain in his presence for any longer. He is most unpleasant."

"You can say that again." Robin grumbled. " _I thought he would just leave me alone but no..._ "

The two Titans quieted for a few minutes, watching the crowd around them as everyone else chatted and laughed. The crystal chandeliers cast a nice golden glow over the crowd and blended nicely with the lightly coloured walls. The inside of the building really didn't mix with the outside at all, almost as if the gothic exterior was trying to camouflage the nicely decorated interior. The darkness that had fallen outside only added to this thought, making the building no more than a dark silhouette against the sky.

It was a shame this concealed haven had a bat infestation, or Robin would have very much liked the place.

His tired expression must have shown more than he intended, because Starfire took note.

"You are in need of rest." She stated in a matter-of-fact voice.

"A bit." Robin nodded.

"Bruce has tired you?" She asked.

"You could say that." He agreed.

"He only spoke to you yes? There was no physical activity?" Starfire inquired.

"None at all." Robin shook his head.

"Is he really that stressful to speak to?" The girl asked in a whisper.

"To me, yes." The martial artist said tiredly.

"This is another of those details on which you cannot elaborate, yes?" Robin had to give her credit, she was rather perceptive.

"I would tell you more if I could." The boy sighed.

"Of that I am glad. I enjoy being your confidant." Starfire smiled.

"And I'm glad to have one." Robin returned the smile, if with a bit of strain showing.

"Let us sit and rest for the remainder of the night yes? I do not think you are wishing to participate in any more activities." The girl offered.

"We still have to keep watch Star." Robin pointed out.

"And so we shall. I'm sure the mayor would not mind us taking seats at the master table." Starfire was referring to the table up on the stage where the mayor and the other most important guests has sat during dinner. "We can see all of the party from there, I shall go ask permission."

"Thanks Star." The martial artist sighed, allowing his shoulders to release their tension. "That sounds perfect."

"You are most welcome Robin." The girl smiled again. "I am glad to help."

"Wait." The martial artist said, holding up a hand. The tension returned to his body. "I just thought of it. If you want to do something, keep dancing or what not, don't stop on my account. I can rest and keep watch at the same time on my own. I'm plenty used to it."

"That is fine." Starfire waved it off as she started weaving through the crowd to find the Mayor. "I am content to rest with you. I have danced plenty tonight."

"But-" Robin started to protest.

"I'm fine Robin." Her voice was firm, though there was a hint of amusement in it. "I can honestly say that there is nothing else I wish to do, or anything you can say, that would convince me to not to sit with you."

"Alright..." The martial artist relented. "Whatever you say Star."

"And I say you must relax." She chirped. "Therefore, you must listen."

"As you wish." Robin resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He walked right into that one, not that he was arguing.

"Indeed 'as I wish'." She sighed dramatically, shooting him a mock glare. "Seeing as you have pushed me off most of the evening."

"Uh..." Robin blanched. Starfire's sarcasm had gone right over his head. "Star, that wasn't my inte-"

"I jest Robin. I am fully aware as to why you required privacy." Starfire soothed. "Perhaps my joke was in poor humour, my pardon."

"Right." Robin sighed in relief.

"Relax Robin." Starfire reiterated, waving a hand over her head as she spotted the Mayor in order to flag him down. "If I have an issue with your habits, I will tell you. I shall not resort to veiled insults. We do not need a repeat of our stranded situation."

"Yeah, that was no fun..." The boy agreed, remembering how their awkward relationship had made the issue of being stranded all that more difficult to fix.

"What is it you two? Is there a problem?" The mayor asked as he approached, glancing around for trouble.

Starfire calmed him quickly. "Nothing of the sort Mister Mayor, we are simply asking for your permission to use the main table. Robin is finding himself tired, so we wish for a vantage point to survey the crowd while we rest."

"Ah, of course! You didn't even need to ask! Use whatever you want." The man waved it off.

"We simply require the table." Starfire shook her head. "My thanks Mister Mayor."

The two pushed through the crowd and up onto the main table. Robin thankfully slumped into a seat while Starfire sat elegantly beside him. The martial artist rested for a moment, closing his eyes and blocking out the sound, while the alien girl took it upon herself to survey the crowd once more.

"I don't know what it is Star." Robin said after a minute. "Something about Bruce just tires me out."

"I think speaking to him is like speaking to the press." Starfire offered. "He pushes all of your buttons simply because he can."

"He's a jerk." Robin nodded.

"I believe the term is 'jackass'." Starfire corrected.

The boy opened an eye at this. "You, swearing? I thought I'd never see the day."

"You, admitting you're tired? I thought I would be long gone before then." She countered. "Besides, I do not think that counts as a proper swear."

"Touche."

"If you insist." She reached over and poked him in the chest.

"Wha-? Star?"

"Do you not know fencing? 'Touche' is an acknowledgement that you have been hit by your opponent, and while we are not fencing I figured you were requesting me to hit you in order to render it true." The girl shrugged.

"I hardly call that a hit." Robin scoffed.

"I would prefer not to break your ribs."

"Touche."

Poke.

"How did I fall for that?"

"I am surprised you did not see it coming."

"You and me both Star, you and me both... I must be so tired right now."

"Yes, you are."

"How can you tell?"

"You fell for such a simple trick."

"Aside from that."

"You've been speaking to me for the better part of two minutes and you still haven't opened your eyes."

"Yeah..."

"This is not just because of Bruce, is it?"

"Well I might have stayed up a little late the last few nights..."

" **Robin.** "

"Okay, okay. Few _dozen_ nights."

"Robin... I thought you said-"

"I know, sorry, but I how can I not work on a lead?"

"By getting sleep."

"But then I'll-"

"Work more efficiently the next day? Yes you will."

"Star, be reasonable."

"Robin, be rational."

"I'm too tired to be rational."

"Then do you know what you should do?"

"What?"

"Get proper sleep."

"Alright, I get it!"

###

Later that night the T-Car pulled up to the gothic building and settled in beside the sleek black limousine. The last three members of the party, Robin, Starfire, and the Mayor, were speaking on the curb.

"-for helping out." The mayor said, smiling widely. "It was a massive success! I can't thank you enough!"

"We were just security sir." Robin said, rolling his eyes behind the mask. "It was all you."

"Indeed Mister Mayor, we did not do much. You were the key to this event's success." Starfire nodded.

"Always so modest." The mayor shook his head. "Well, I'd better get back home. Goodnight Robin, you too Starfire."

"Night sir."

"Goodnight Mister Mayor."

The amicable man waved as he got into his car before the driver rolled up the windows and drove off.

"You two enjoy yourselves?" Cyborg asked as the two Titans approached the car.

"Indeed we did!" Starfire gushed. "We danced and talked, and the mayor gave the most wonderful speech!"

"It was alright." Robin shrugged.

"Some of the guests cause problems?" Cybrog inquired.

"Just one." The martial artist grumbled, slipping into the back seat. "Playboy Bruce Wayne."

Starfire frowned, following her leader. "Yes, he was most unpleasant."

"Oh, that guy." Cyborg shook his head. "I've heard enough about him to know what he's like."

"Whatever you've heard, he's worse." Robin muttered under his breath. Cyborg barked out a laugh and started driving them back to the tower.

"I think that may be unduly harsh." Starfire said after a moment. "I agree he was not the most upstanding individual, but I do not think him worthy of such scorn."

"I'll call him horrible if I want." The martial artist grumbled. He slumped back in his seat and let out a yawn.

Starfire shook her head in amusement and Cyborg chuckled.

"Well, at least you don't have to deal with him again for a while, right?" The metal Titan pointed out.

" _I wish._ " Robin thought to himself, but out loud his said. "Yeah, good riddance."

Satisfied with his answer, Cyborg and Starfire didn't discuss Bruce again. All the way back to the Tower, Starfire spent her time chatting about the interesting guests, and the songs she had danced to, and who she had danced with. Robin was quiet, wanting no more than to go to sleep, but knowing he needed to stay up for a while longer.

He had an appointment.

###

"Took you long enough." The gruff voice said as Robin opened the door to the roof and stepped out.

"I had to sneak past the others." Robin said defensively. "They all think I'm sleeping."

The moon was high in the sky, bathing the two in soft light. On one side of the building was Robin, no longer clad in his tuxedo he was wearing his standard uniform. On the other side of the building was a figure familiar to Robin, though it could be questioned how they had known to other figure, was Batman.

"You remember why I'm here?" The man asked.

"My memory lasts for more than a few hours." Robin said dryly. "I remember."

"Good, then let's talk." The man said gruffly.

It wasn't a long conversation, and the details really aren't worth mentioning. A brief recount of notable foes, notable allies. Robin was rather close-mouthed about specifics. His old mentor didn't need to know what Raven was, or that Beast Boy could turn into a monster, or about that time Cyborg went to the past (as Batman would have probably freaked out over that one more than anything). He also 'forgot' to mention some of Starfire's past, but hey; what Batman didn't know couldn't hurt him, right?

Yeah, that was bullshit reasoning, but Robin couldn't bring himself to care.

"I know you're not telling me everything." Batman said the instant Robin was finished.

"Well yeah." The Titans' leader crossed his arms. "That's classified."

"I have Justice League authorization." Batman warned.

"Shame the Titans aren't a branch of the League then ain't it?" Robin sneered. "And before you think of trying some other empty threat; no, the Titans are not required to cooperate with investigations by private firms, which the League is. Only the police, or some other part of the government's law system, can force us to give up details; and even then some are closed to all but the highest of requests." Robin huffed and crossed his arms. "Besides, you said that the Titans weren't the business you were here to complete, you should be grateful I gave you this much."

Batman glared at the boy. "I said that I 'just' wanted to check in on the Titans, I never said that you weren't League business."

"Shame that I've done my law homework then isn't it?" Robin scoffed. "Go home Bruce, you're not welcome here."

"The League-"

"-won't be happy, yatta yatta yatta." Robin waved him off and turned around. "That's what you get for sticking your noses where they don't belong. Shove off."

The man in black stared hard at the back of Robin's head. The Titan had no doubt that he was still glaring.

"You've learned well." The man said tersely.

The boy replied evenly. "I had a talented teacher."

There followed silence, save for the faint whistling of wind. It was long and tense. Each side assesing their next move. The silence was so long, in fact, that Robin actually turned around to see what the problem was.

Batman was gone.

Robin stared at the spot his former mentor had been not a minute ago. He walked quickly to the edge of the building and stared off towards the city. In the sky, silhouetted against the lights of the city with his cloak billowing out behind him, was the dark knight.

"Now I know what the Commish felt like." Robin grumbled. "Fuck you Bruce."

With the man gone, and having promised a certain girl earlier that he would actually get some sleep, Robin slipped back into the tower, shutting the door behind him.

* * *

 **I don't know what to say about this story really. I consider it more writing practice than anything, but it was interesting and _mostly_ coherent, so I decided to put it up.**


End file.
